Hi Everyone,

I am applying for MBA in The Netherlands, however, I am not sure about which institute is the best, I am planning to switch industry post MBA and stay in The Netherlands. I am from the hospitality background with over 6 years of operational and management experience. Apart from English, I speak German and learning Dutch currently. My options are ABS (Amsterdam MBA), TIAS and Nyenrode. I have experience in Europe and in the Middle East.

[Edited by MBA120692 on Mar 24, 2022]

The best school depends on your goals. Which industry do you want to move into? If you speak German, why not work there? 

Hey, also a major avantage of the Netherlands is that almost everyone speaks English (some still don't but it is mainly the older generation (80+)). 
Well, according to rankings, the "best" MBA in the Netherlands is RSM, especially for consultancy and supply chain. Rotterdam holds the largest port in Europe and the university has strong links with them (including teaching port logistics and management to executives there). 
Amsterdam Business School is also good. They have been making very good progress over the years. Also, being located in Amsterdam does bring some advantages (Schiphol airport, major train station, rich cultural city) but also some negatives (rent prices are very high, a lot of tourists and what goes with it). 
But as Duncan mentioned, pick your school based on the industry and job you want to target. Rankings are one thing but you should look at it with a grain of salt. Each school has their reputation and area in which they are the strongest.
So, it depends on what you want to achieve with your degree but I can say that overall the education in the Netherlands is good.
Good luck with your choice!  

[Edited by Andy776 on Nov 27, 2021]

Hey, I understand if you want to move to the Netherlands this year then I would opt for either ABS or Tilburg. Both provide quality education at a cheaper price. 
But then, an important thing you should do is compare both curriculum and see which one you feel most comfortable with. 
Also, living in Tilburg will be much less costly but Amsterdam offers more (museums, more restaurant diversity, etc). But then, you could move to Amsterdam after your MBA in Tilburg.
Both are good, so make your choice based on your research and most importantly your gut feeling!
Good luck :) 

[Edited by Andy776 on Nov 27, 2021]

All fair points, So the TIAS MBA is more appealing to me and the curriculum is more aligned with my goals, the campus is in Utrecht which is not that far from Amsterdam and Rotterdam or even Den Haag. My major concern is the brand value of the two, does ABS weigh more in terms of brand value since they are part of the famous UVA and has the Triple Crown Accreditation or go with TIAS which is also in the top 100 as per QS. 

Hey, that's why I said to take rankings with a grain of salt. An MBA should be about giving you the tools you need in order to switch country, industry and/or position. Rankings are here to help but should not take over the first and overarching objective of an MBA.
And if I can, great that you identified the program you have more affinity with :) 

[Edited by Andy776 on Nov 27, 2021]

Hey, Thanks both of them are appealing and have their pros and cons, I will apply to UVA and TIAS and see what advantages I will get in terms of scholarships as well. Thanks for your help.

Given your work experience I would suggest you consider a part time degree at RSM, which might give you more time to improve your Dutch and network more effectively. 

Thank you for your feedback! I will definitely have a look.

MBA Candidates need to be aware of the consequences of doing an MBA and investing a lot in Nynerode, it is not an official master degree in the Netherlands; you cannot get a paper from DUO in the government diploma system. If you go back to your home country, it is not recognised everywhere. AMBA and EQUIS are private. Their accounts have no legal validity. https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/documenten/publicaties/2023/06/27/openbaar-gemaakte-documenten-bij-besluit-op-woo-verzoek-over-het-toezicht-bij-nyenrode-university-naar-de-opleiding-master-of-business-administration

That comment is misleading.

Just for context: Nyenrode has been state-recognised as a university for five decades. It's a famous and well-respected university. The Netherlands. and the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium share a body, the NVAO, which also accredits individual programs. Accrediation is optional, but DOU funds Dutch students under 30 attending NVAO-accredited programs. NVAO accredits the pre-experience bachelors and masters degrees at Nyenrode, at other top business schools. However, a majority of the Dutch MBA providers do not have/want/need NVAO accreditation, partly because MBA students are [often] employer-funded or not eligible for DUO funding: the Amsterdam, the Hague, Hanze, Nyenrode, Open, Saxion, Webster universities, and the IBO, Laureate and NCIO business schools don't have it.



TLDR - International degree recognition is tricky: private-sector employers will generally accept private universities like Harvard and Nyenrode even if they have non-profit, non-government accreditation. However, Nyenrode has been government-recognised since 1971 https://zakelijk.duo.nl/portaal/rio/selfservice/instellingserkenningen/b3a90909-ff74-4aa7-b348-837d50d04474?kenmerk=01MC

If you can read Dutch, or know a related language well enough to get the drift, is *is* worth reading through the dossier that Alexandra linked to. In a nutshell, DUO follows up a complaint that Nyenrode was not clear to applicants whether or not its MBA led to a NVAO-accredited masters degree. Nyenrode favoured phrases that might mislead someone, for example, saying that the course led to the "MBA title" to avoid saying it led to a master's degree. In Nyenrode's opinion, they had not misled anyone and were open with the DUO, for example, inviting them to come and visit the program. That is graceful because they were not seeking NVAO accreditation for their MBAs. The absence of this accreditation just won't matter for most applicants because often, it's only public sector jobs, especially in the developing world, that demand higher levels of state accreditation. Elsewhere, in Catholic Europe, it would be common to explicitly state when the degree is accredited by the university rather than by the state. In northern Europe, that just doesn't matter for most people, and -- for example -- in the Nordic countries, the only difference between 'academic' and 'vocational' degrees is the right to enter PhDs and whether or not there is VAT on the tuition (i.e., is it academic or vocational training). The Nyenrode MBA, for example, would certainly qualify someone for a Ph.D. at a school with the same accreditation - like AACSB or EQUIS - and I assume that WES would also validate the simple easily. However, maybe a bureacratic state university would reject it.

So, while it's hyperbolic to say that these degrees have no legal validity, it is worth making sure about the accrediation you might need.